• About US & Thistle Dew Books
  • Book Shoppe
  • COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  • Emporium
  • Farm Photos
  • Historic Interpretation
  • List of Articles on TheHistoricFoodie’s Blog
  • Motorcycles are Everywhere, Please Drive Safely©
  • PROGRAMS, DEMONSTRATIONS & LECTURES: Martin and Vickie Can Provide

Thehistoricfoodie's Blog

~ An enjoyable ramble through the world of Historic Foods and Cooking to include Gardening History, Poultry History, Dress, and All Manner of Material Culture.[©]

Thehistoricfoodie's Blog

Monthly Archives: November 2017

MUSCOVY DUCK©

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by thehistoricfoodie in 17th century food, 18th century food, 19th century food, farming, farmers, homesteading, poultry history, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Muscovy duck

1024px-Muscovy_drake_Graniteville_SC_USA

The Muscovy is easily identified by the caruncle, red in color, covering the cheeks, extending behind the eyes, and swollen at the root of the bill.  It is generally larger than common ducks.  Wild Muscovy males are brownish black with white patches on the wings, the female similarly but more obscurely colored.  Domesticated examples vary considerably in color.

Domestication of Muscovys has been estimated as early as AD 50, although accounts are spotty.  What seems widely accepted is that the Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century kept them and took them home from where they spread throughout Europe.  Brown claimed the earliest mention of these ducks was in French, 1670, and they were called Turkish duck.  Willughby who died in 1672 called it, “a wild Brazilian duck of the bigness of a goose”, and described the Muscovy excellently.

183438-004-FFAA10E6

“It is in this kind the biggest of all we have hitherto seen.  The colour both of male and female is for the most part a purplish black.  Yet I once saw a duck of this kind purely white.  About the Nosthrils and the Eyes it hath red Caruncles.  It hath a hoarse voice; and scarce audible, unless when it is angry.  Its Eyes are rounder than ordinary:  Those of the young ones at first are of a sordid green, afterwards become continually whiter and whiter”.  – Ray, John (1627-1705) and Willughby, Francis (1635-1672).  “The Ornithology of Francis Willughby of Moddleton in the County of Warwick Esq, fellow of the Royal Society in three books . . .

DNA testing is underway and currently held notions may or may not change as results are compiled.

Eighteenth century fishermen often used Muscovy quills to make floats for slow waters.  This practice was still commonly described almost a century later.  – The Laboratory; Or, School of Arts.  1799.  London.

Some initially claimed the Muscovy was from Eastern Europe although that claim was later refuted.  Observers wrote in the early Victorian era that in its native South America nests were in trees but as soon as the ducklings hatched the hen took them one by one to the water.  Eggs are greenish white, roundish, and average from 12 to 18 eggs.  Nineteenth century breeders noted the Muscovy was a faithful sitter and should be allowed to hatch her own young.  – The Farmer’s Magazine.  April, 1858.

“Muscovy ducks are most excellent incubators.  They are used as incubators both in France and especially in Australia.  In these and possibly in other countries they hatch turkey eggs, duck eggs and even chicken eggs.  In some places in Australia five hundred Muscovys are kept for sitting on duck eggs, as it has been found that they hatch out a much larger per cent of eggs and with comparatively little trouble to their owners than either hens or incubators.

Muscovy duck eggs take thirty-five days to hatch, consequently they make very patient and steady sitters on eggs and will hatch duck, turkey or goose eggs without difficulty.  In using Muscovys you will probably need one Muscovy duck on an average to every thirty youngsters you wish to raise. . . They make their nests on the ground by hollowing out a hole with their bodies and lining it with straw.  When the ducks are about to sit, they pull feathers from their own breast and with these line the top of the nest, so that one may always know when a Muscovy duck is ready to sit. . . When the Muscovy duck leaves her nest to eat, which she will once or twice a day, she covers up the eggs with the feathers and down.  Towards the end of the hatch she will often stay off the nest a full hour without injury to the eggs.”  – Basley, A., Mrs.  “Western Poultry Book”.  1912.  Los Angeles.

“The Muscovy duck is easily fattened, and a prolific breeder, and hence, though it is also a voracious feeder, it may be rendered profitable to rear.”  Drakes and hens readily crossed with other ducks although the hybrids didn’t have the breeding capacity of the purebreds.  – The American Agriculturist. July, 1845.  NY.

The hatching success of Muscovy crosses varied from outright claims of sterility to those who said they rarely hatched signifying while it was possible for them to hatch the success rate was extremely low.

The Annual Report of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture said in 1863 that the Muscovy duck was native to South America and had formerly been known as the Guinea duck.  Other earlier sources used the name Brazilian, Peruvian, Indian, Musk, Muscovite, Turkish, and Barbary.  In the 1860’s it was still sometimes called the Barbary duck.  The report stated it had been introduced for domestication during the sixteenth century.

Its flesh was noted to be excellent in flavor.  Dixon wrote that the flavor was excellent if killed just before fully fledged [having wing feathers sufficient enough to enable the bird to fly], but it took longer in achieving growth for the table than the common duck.  “The flesh is at first high flavoured and tender, but an old bird would be rank and the toughest of tough meat.”  – Brown, Edward.  “Races of Domestic Poultry”.  1906.

With that, I bid adieu as the reader considers the merits of this odd looking duck. – Victoria Brady, The Historic Foodie. – ©Nov. 2017.

Advertisement

Archives

  • August 2022 (2)
  • July 2022 (1)
  • April 2022 (1)
  • February 2022 (1)
  • October 2020 (2)
  • August 2020 (2)
  • July 2020 (2)
  • March 2020 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (1)
  • February 2019 (4)
  • January 2019 (1)
  • October 2018 (1)
  • September 2018 (1)
  • August 2018 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (3)
  • April 2018 (2)
  • March 2018 (7)
  • February 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (3)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (2)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (4)
  • January 2017 (1)
  • December 2016 (2)
  • October 2016 (2)
  • August 2016 (5)
  • July 2016 (2)
  • June 2016 (3)
  • May 2016 (7)
  • February 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (8)
  • September 2015 (2)
  • July 2015 (1)
  • February 2015 (3)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (1)
  • November 2014 (2)
  • October 2014 (3)
  • August 2014 (6)
  • July 2014 (8)
  • June 2014 (8)
  • May 2014 (11)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (5)
  • February 2014 (4)
  • January 2014 (4)
  • December 2013 (3)
  • November 2013 (2)
  • October 2013 (4)
  • September 2013 (8)
  • August 2013 (1)
  • July 2013 (10)
  • June 2013 (2)
  • May 2013 (3)
  • April 2013 (10)
  • March 2013 (4)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • January 2013 (13)
  • December 2012 (13)
  • November 2012 (4)
  • October 2012 (1)
  • August 2012 (3)
  • July 2012 (12)
  • June 2012 (5)
  • May 2012 (5)
  • April 2012 (4)
  • March 2012 (8)
  • February 2012 (1)
  • January 2012 (5)
  • December 2011 (10)
  • November 2011 (2)
  • October 2011 (3)
  • September 2011 (4)
  • August 2011 (7)
  • July 2011 (10)
  • June 2011 (6)
  • May 2011 (1)
  • March 2011 (1)
  • December 2010 (2)
  • November 2010 (2)
  • October 2010 (3)
  • December 2009 (1)
  • June 2009 (13)
  • May 2009 (10)
  • April 2009 (9)
  • March 2009 (1)

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 526 other subscribers

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Thehistoricfoodie's Blog
    • Join 478 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Thehistoricfoodie's Blog
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.